In 'Starship Troopers', what are the alien bugs called?

In “Starship Troopers,” the alien bugs are called Arachnids.

The Arachnids are the extraterrestrial enemy of humanity in Robert A. Heinlein’s 1959 novel and its major film adaptations. Humans also commonly call them “Bugs,” but Arachnids is the formal name used for the species or civilization in the story.

In the novel, the Arachnids originate on Klendathu and possess a highly organized society with different castes, including workers, warriors, brains, and queens. The 1997 film presents them as giant insect-like creatures and shows specialized forms such as Warrior Bugs, Tanker Bugs, Hopper Bugs, Plasma Bugs, and Brain Bugs.

Despite the name, the film’s creatures do not closely resemble real arachnids, which are animals such as spiders and scorpions with eight legs. The name comes from the novel’s spider-like conception, while the movie emphasizes insect-inspired designs. Tyranids, Xenomorphs, and Zerg belong to different science-fiction and video-game universes.